The government of Ontario and the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) are making a conscious effort to speak directly to young men, recognized as one of the demographics that is most susceptible to problem gambling.
The RGC unveiled a new public service announcement (PSA) that targets young men aged 19 to 24. The campaign will run nationally across several Canadian broadcasters and digital platforms including Netflix, Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
The “Moment of Reflection” campaign evokes the idea of recognizing one’s own gambling activity and making informed choices. RGC Chief Executive Officer Sarah McCarthy and Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming Stan Cho unveiled the new campaign at a press event on April 2.
“Gambling should never come at a human cost,” said McCarthy in a release. “As online betting continues to evolve rapidly, we are seeing an increased risk of early exposure and normalized gambling behaviours, particularly among young men.
“This new campaign speaks directly to young adults, giving them the practical tools and guidance they need to make safer, informed choices.”
The RGC said that its targeted prevention effort was made possible by the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund (RIGF), which takes $3m per year from Ontario’s iGaming revenues and puts it towards measures aimed at proactive harm prevention.
“Thanks to funding from the RIGF, we can reach them where they are and make a real difference,” added McCarthy.
“Excited to join the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to launch a new PSA campaign along with the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund impact report,” Cho wrote in an X post. “Our government proudly supports RGC’s work to promote safer, informed gambling choices.
“While Ontario has built [one] of the world’s strongest responsible gaming frameworks, we remain committed to strengthening protections and supporting safer play for all Ontarians.”
Reaching young men through sports
The RGC also published its 2026 RIGF Impact Report, which outlines some of the results of the council’s work to increase gambling education and strengthen its prevention program focusing on young people.
The report notes several milestones that have been reached since the RIGF was established in 2024. It particularly focused on its use of Canadian sports to share its messaging, including a partnership with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and a newer collaboration with the Ottawa Senators.
- An existing PSA called “The Randoms” that began in March 2025 and aired across national broadcasters like CBC, CTV, Global, and CityTV reached a total of 50.8 million people through the RGC’s MLSE partnership
- It generated 601 million impressions during broadcasts of Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argos, and Toronto FC games, and 23.8 million ad views on digital platforms like theScore, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch
- “The Randoms” resulted in approximately $100m in broadcaster investment since the launch of Ontario’s regulated iGaming market in April 2022, which the RGC said reflects the scale of the industry’s commitment to reaching young adults with safer gambling messaging
- More broadly, major sports leagues and arena partners raised $4.15m in safer gambling media value via sports partnerships and arena activations
- 49 million people were reached through TV, media, and activations via what the council called “ethnocultural outreach partnerships”
- 65% of respondents reported a significant increase in their knowledge of gambling harm risks
“Ontario’s investment in the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund reflects our government’s commitment to ensuring that online gambling expansion is matched with meaningful safeguards for players,” added Cho. “The results we are seeing demonstrate that targeted, evidence-based prevention works, and we are proud to support programs that are reaching young Ontarians with the tools and information they need to make safer choices.”
In the RIGF report, the RGC also noted that one of its priorities moving forward for the fund is to provide “a counterbalance” to gambling advertising from operators. The topic of gaming advertising continues to be a contentious one, and a Senate-approved bill to implement national restrictions on sports betting ads is currently in committee discussion in the House of Commons.
